West Hartford father seeks justice for son killed in Israel 2 decade ago

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WEST HARTFORD--On February 25, 1996 two promising young lives abruptly ended after a couple in love boarded the No.18 bus in Jerusalem.

Twenty-five-year-old Matthew Eisenfeld and 22-year-old Sara Duker were on their way to visit the country of Jordan when a bomb ripped through the bus they were on, killing 26 people on board, including the couple.

A suicide bomber, sponsored and trained by the Iranian government, was found to be responsible for the terrorist attack.

"In the early years of Matt's life, I was his teacher,” said his father, Dr. Lenny Eisenfeld. “In the latter years he was my teacher."

"One of the things he taught me was the importance of action,” said Eisenfeld.

It hasn't been an easy road.

Years ago, the Eisenfelds joined forces with Sara Duker’s family, filing a lawsuit against Iran’s government. Eisenfeld said it was their only recourse as U.S. citizens to hold Iran accountable.

They won a $327 million judgement, but never saw that money. While lawyers tried to seek those assets in Italy, which is Iran's lead trade partner in the European Union, the Italian Foreign Ministry intervened to keep friendly business relations with the rogue nation, according to a lawyer involved.